VP89 Assessing mHealth: Proposal Of A New Framework (original) (raw)
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Distinguishing features in the assessment of mHealth apps
Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research
Introduction: The unparalleled surge in digital health adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the potential of mHealth apps. However, the quality of available evidence is generally low, and regulatory frameworks have focused on apps with medical purposes only, overlooking apps with significant interactions with patients that may require stronger oversight. Areas covered: To support this expanded evidence generation process, we identified the reasons that distinguish mHealth apps compared to medical devices at large and that should differentially feature their assessment. mHealth apps are characterized by the iterative nature of the corresponding interventions, frequent user interactions with a non-linear relationship between technology usage, engagement and outcomes, significant organizational implications, as well as challenges associated with genericization, their broad diagnostic potential, and price setting. Expert Opinion: The renewed reliance experienced during the pandemic and the unprecedented injection of resources through recovery instruments can further boost the development of apps. Only robust evidence of the benefits of mHealth apps will persuade health-care professionals and beneficiaries to systematically deploy them. Regulatory bodies will need to question their current approaches by adopting comprehensive evaluation processes that adequately consider the specific features of mHealth apps.
Theoretical Advancements in mHealth: A Systematic Review of Mobile Apps
There are now few hundred thousand healthcare apps, yet there is a gap in our understanding of the theoretical mechanisms for which, and how, technological features translate into improved healthcare outcomes. In particular, the technological convergence, within mobile health (mHealth) apps, of the processes of mass and interpersonal communication, and human-computer interaction requires greater parsing in the literature. This paper analyzed 85 empirical studies on mHealth apps using the Input-Mechanism-Output model. We found in the literature that, firstly, there is a greater emphasis on technological inputs (87%) of accessibility, usability, usage, and data quality, than health outputs (52%) such as system process efficiencies and individual level behavioral or health outcomes. Secondly, there is little evidence of explanatory mechanisms (19%) of how the effects of mHealth apps are achieved. While we believe that successful apps would require research that incorporates technological inputs, theoretical mechanisms and health outputs, such studies are a rarity (n = 3). There is a minor increase in rigor with randomized control trials (n = 5), and a preponderance of discussion around social influence (n = 8) and gamification (n = 7), albeit in a scattered manner. We discuss the implications of the trend towards socialization and gamification findings in terms of future research, particularly in terms of study design guided by theoretical mechanisms.
Criteria for assessing the quality of mHealth apps: a systematic review
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, 2018
Review the existing studies including an assessment tool/method to assess the quality of mHealth apps; extract their criteria; and provide a classification of the collected criteria. In accordance with the PRISMA statement, a literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBase, ISI and Scopus for English language citations published from January 1, 2008 to December 22, 2016 for studies including tools or methods for quality assessment of mHealth apps. Two researchers screened the titles and abstracts of all retrieved citations against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The full text of relevant papers was then individually examined by the same researchers. A senior researcher resolved eventual disagreements and confirmed the relevance of all included papers. The authors, date of publication, subject fields of target mHealth apps, development method, and assessment criteria were extracted from each paper. The extracted assessment criteria were then reviewed, compared, and classifie...
Mobile Health Technology Evaluation
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2013
Creative use of new mobile and wearable health information and sensing technologies (mHealth) has the potential to reduce the cost of health care and improve well-being in numerous ways. These applications are being developed in a variety of domains, but rigorous research is needed to examine the potential, as well as the challenges, of utilizing mobile technologies to improve health outcomes. Currently, evidence is sparse for the efficacy of mHealth. Although these technologies may be appealing and seemingly innocuous, research is needed to assess when, where, and for whom mHealth devices, apps, and systems are efficacious.
Mobile health technology evaluation: the mHealth evidence workshop
American journal of preventive medicine, 2013
Creative use of new mobile and wearable health information and sensing technologies (mHealth) has the potential to reduce the cost of health care and improve well-being in numerous ways. These applications are being developed in a variety of domains, but rigorous research is needed to examine the potential, as well as the challenges, of utilizing mobile technologies to improve health outcomes. Currently, evidence is sparse for the efficacy of mHealth. Although these technologies may be appealing and seemingly innocuous, research is needed to assess when, where, and for whom mHealth devices, apps, and systems are efficacious.
Exploring Innovative Methods to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Mobile Health
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2013
Creative use of new mobile and wearable health information and sensing technologies (mHealth) has the potential to reduce the cost of health care and improve well-being in numerous ways. These applications are being developed in a variety of domains, but rigorous research is needed to examine the potential, as well as the challenges, of utilizing mobile technologies to improve health outcomes. Currently, evidence is sparse for the efficacy of mHealth. Although these technologies may be appealing and seemingly innocuous, research is needed to assess when, where, and for whom mHealth devices, apps, and systems are efficacious. In order to outline an approach to evidence generation in the field of mHealth that would ensure research is conducted on a rigorous empirical and theoretic foundation, on August 16, 2011, researchers gathered for the mHealth Evidence Workshop at NIH. The current paper presents the results of the workshop. Although the discussions at the meeting were cross-cutting, the areas covered can be categorized broadly into three areas: (1) evaluating assessments; (2) evaluating interventions; and (3) reshaping evidence generation using mHealth. This paper brings these concepts together to describe current evaluation standards, discuss future possibilities, and set a grand goal for the emerging field of mHealth research.
mHealth 2.0: Experiences, Possibilities, and Perspectives
With more than 1 billion users having access to mobile broadband Internet and a rapidly growing mobile app market, all stakeholders involved have high hopes that this technology may improve health care. Expectations range from overcoming structural barriers to access in low-income countries to more effective, interactive treatment of chronic conditions. Before medical health practice supported by mobile devices ("mHealth") can scale up, a number of challenges need to be adequately addressed. From a psychological perspective, high attrition rates, digital divide of society, and intellectual capabilities of the users are key issues when implementing such technologies. Furthermore, apps addressing behavior change often lack a comprehensive concept, which is essential for an ongoing impact. From a clinical point of view, there is insufficient evidence to allow scaling up of mHealth interventions. In addition, new concepts are required to assess the efficacy and efficiency of interventions. Regarding technology interoperability, open standards and low-energy wireless protocols appear to be vital for successful implementation. There is an ongoing discussion in how far health care-related apps require a conformity assessment and how to best communicate quality standards to consumers. "Apps Peer-Review" and standard reporting via an "App synopsis" appear to be promising approaches to increase transparency for end users. With respect to development, more emphasis must be placed on context analysis to identify what generic functions of mobile information technology best meet the needs of stakeholders involved. Hence, interdisciplinary alliances and collaborative strategies are vital to achieve sustainable growth for "mHealth 2.0," the next generation mobile technology to support patient care.
An Appraisal Of Health And Wellness Apps On Mobile Devices
-Mobile device is transforming our live in every way, both in the digital and the physical world. In today's digital society, Mobile Phones and iPads are driving changes in health care. Diseases and Health complicationscould beminimized by leveraging on mobile apps technology. Likewise our society as consumers of health care, mobile devices could be useful to our life in the way we communicate and interact. As Health care is 24/7 in our life, mobile device is also 24/7 in our life. Prevention is better than cure and when leveraging on mobile devices for health care, many diseases could be managed and put under control. The proliferations of apps for health and wellness are strong temptations to use and rely on health care apps. A research to identify the viability of mobile devices for health care and wellness is not only desirable but significant in this era of Information and Communication Technology. This Research used content Analysis Method to appraise Mobile Apps on Health and Wellness. The APPs were downloaded from Google store, examined and rated their effectiveness on their claims for heart and diabetics measurement. The research is of significant to Health care institutions, Academic Institutions, Policy makers, individuals and the general Public. One of the findings of the study was the failure of the tested apps to prove the claims they purported. One of the recommendations is for stake holders on health care to ensure strict monitoring of software apps with a view to provide standard and control.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
In the face of demographic change and constantly increasing health care costs, health care system decision-makers face ever greater challenges. Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) have the potential to combat this trend. However, in order to integrate mHealth apps into care structures, an evaluation of such apps is needed. In this paper, we focus on the criteria and methods of evaluating mHealth apps for cardiovascular disease and the implications for developing a widely applicable evaluation framework for mHealth interventions. Our aim is to derive substantiated patterns and starting points for future research by conducting a quasi-systematic scoping review of relevant peer-reviewed literature published in English or German between 2000 and 2021. We screened 4066 articles and identified n = 38 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The results of the data derived from these studies show that usability, motivation, and user experience were evaluated primarily using standardi...
Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 2013
Background: Over two decades of research has been conducted using mobile devices for health related behaviors yet many of these studies lack rigor. There are few evaluation frameworks for assessing the usability of mHealth, which is critical as the use of this technology proliferates. As the development of interventions using mobile technology increase, future work in this domain necessitates the use of a rigorous usability evaluation framework. Methods: We used two exemplars to assess the appropriateness of the Health IT Usability Evaluation Model (Health-ITUEM) for evaluating the usability of mHealth technology. In the first exemplar, we conducted 6 focus group sessions to explore adolescents' use of mobile technology for meeting their health Information needs. In the second exemplar, we conducted 4 focus group sessions following an Ecological Momentary Assessment study in which 60 adolescents were given a smartphone with pre-installed health-related applications (apps). Data analysis: We coded the focus group data using the 9 concepts of the Health-ITUEM: Error prevention, Completeness, Memorability, Information needs, Flexibility/Customizability, Learnability, Performance speed, Competency, Other outcomes. To develop a finer granularity of analysis, the nine concepts were broken into positive, negative, and neutral codes. A total of 27 codes were created. Two raters (R1 and R2) initially coded all text and a third rater (R3) reconciled coding discordance between raters R1 and R2. Results: A total of 133 codes were applied to Exemplar 1. In Exemplar 2 there were a total of 286 codes applied to 195 excerpts. Performance speed, Other outcomes, and Information needs were among the most frequently occurring codes. Conclusion: Our two exemplars demonstrated the appropriateness and usefulness of the Health-ITUEM in evaluating mobile health technology. Further assessment of this framework with other study populations should consider whether Memorability and Error prevention are necessary to include when evaluating mHealth technology.